Top



April 21, 1925.

J. A. B. TWEEDT ET AL TOP Filed June 2, 1922 Fig] Iii Ven t 02 .5.

Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED V STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. B. TWEEDT AND CHARLES A. NELSON, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

TOP.

Application filed June 2,

To (277 IIIIOIII it may cancel-12'.

lie it known that we. JoirN A. l). 'lwincn'r and Cn.\1u.r:s Nmsox, citizens of the United States, residing at Oakland. in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in toys.

The principal object of this invention is to devise a toy in the form of a top and one which may be spun through the application of a lash thereto.

A further object of this invention is to devise a toy which will be highly entertain-. ing, cheap in construction and to manufacture, and one which may be sold at a reasonable price. 7

Another object is to provide a toy which, when set into motion through the lash or a whip, will keep spinning for a considerable period.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming 'a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved y.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken through Figure 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a lash adapted to be used with our toy.

As far as applicants are aware. toys of this character have been confined to the idea of Wrapping a string about the top and throwing the same forcibly from the hand. This is an art which must be learned, and many children find difficulty in being able to cause a top to spin. It is to obviate this difficulty that we have devised the top disclosed, which top is spun through the medium of a whip or lash thereby eliminating the throwing of the top which is not only hard for some children, but in some instance, dangerous.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred example of our invention, the numeral 5 designates the upper portion of a top, and the numeral 6 designates the lower portion. Within the portion 6, we provide 1922. Serial No. 565.294.

a spinning point? which is preferably made of steel or other -wear resisting material. Between the portions 5 and (i of the top. we provide corrugations 8 which corrugations extend entirely around the top and are of sufficient size and depth to provide for a firm grip of the lash as will be later seen.

The portion 5 of the top is hollowed out as.

shown at 9 and is provided with an upstandlng portion 10 within the hollowed out portion 9. At 11 we have shown a rod or stick carrying an eyelet 12 at one end thereof upon which a lash 13 is secured. The top is operated as follows The top is first held in the hand, and the lash wound thereabout starting at the free end of the lash. The lash is then forcibly drawn away from the top which is placed wlth the point 7 upon the ground, or if the operator is skilled enough, the top may be thrown. After the top has started spinning, the operator lashes the top with the free end portion of the lash, Which lashing results in the lash wrapping itself freely about the corrugations of the top. A slight jerk of the lash tightens the same and causes it to unwind, which unwinding transmits a further momentum to the top.

The purpose of the hollow portion 9 is that the centrifugal motion of the top causes air currents to rotate within the top and to be expelled from the upper edges thereof. New air entering the chamber 9 takes the place of that dispelled. This air acts as a stabilizer thereby maintaining the top in an upright or spinning position for a much longer time than would otherwise be possible. It will thus be seen that we have provided a very simple and efficient toy which may be operated without the usual danger of a thrown top and without the necessity of being skillful in the throwing.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim In a top, an upper portion, a central portion having downwardly and inwardly inclined sides, a lower portion of smaller di-.

mension than said upper and central porlower portion and corrugations fol-11ml on lions, a hollow chamber formed in said the downwardly extending sides of said top. upper portion, an upstanding portion In testimony whereof we affix our signaformed within said chamber and having its tures.

5 upper extremity terminating at a point below the upper extremity of said upper por JOHN A. B. T'WEEDT. lion, a Wear resisting t1p secured upon sai' CHARLE$ A. NELSON. 

